Prosecutors revealed on Sunday that a convicted criminal shot and murdered his sister’s lover and left another man paralysed in Park Manor earlier this summer while under the influence of alcohol.
According to Chicago police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, Colby Aiknes, 34, was charged with felony counts of first-degree murder, unauthorised use of a firearm, and resisting arrest in connection with the killing on June 2 and his Friday arrest.
Prosecutors claimed at Aiknes’ initial court appearance on Sunday that the three men were drinking on the back porch of an apartment building in the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue when the 39-year-old Latron Tate was challenged about his sister. Tate and Aiknes’ sister “were in a sexual relationship together” at that time.
Prosecutors claim that Aiknes then shot Tate and his friend, who was 41, before escaping. He parked his car behind the apartment building, and hours later it caught fire there.
Prosecutors claim that a witness who lived next to the elderly victim saw him bleeding on the porch and seized his keys to enter his apartment. The neighbour started treating the man’s wounds but was instructed to instead check on Tate.
According to the prosecution, the neighbour “shooed away people” trying to rummage through the killed man’s pockets and didn’t observe any weapons on or near the victims. Instead, he discovered Tate dead on the porch before he could begin chest compressions.
According to officials, both males were transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Tate was shot in the forearm, chest, and thigh and was later declared dead.
After being shot in the chest, the second man became paralysed.
Both that individual and his neighbour positively identified Aiknes from a photo lineup as the shooter, according to the prosecution.
Aiknes was taken into custody on Friday near the 6200 block of South Drexel Avenue, a short distance from his residence, according to the prosecution.
He was discovered in possession of a pistol, ammo, and brass knuckles.
He declared he would kill himself while in detention and made threats to spit and hurl faeces at police, according to the prosecution.
Before being brought to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was “sedated due to his violent behaviour,” he eventually wiped pee on the walls of his cell.
According to the prosecution, Aiknes was previously found guilty of armed robbery in 2015 and received an eight-year prison term in McClean County. He was also found guilty in Iowa in 2020 of charges related to the possession of guns and drugs and received a probationary period of one year.
Judge Kelly Marie McCarthy set Aiknes’ bail at $1 million despite the fact that the prosecution had asked for him to be kept without bond; this was because he failed to appear at the hearing.
